published Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 at 9:40 pm by
ladenette
CrossFit is a conditioning program that mixes Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, calisthenics, gymnastics, sprints, plyometrics, and a few hard-to-categorize exercises like rope climbing. Most of the workouts are measured by how fast you finish a workout, how much can you lift, or how many reps you accumulated over a given time.
Competition can be a great motivator. Scientists have found that training in a group boosts people ability to push past pain during exercise. Competition also releases endorphins that can push you through a painful, yet successful workout.
The days of isolating muscles and using machines are a thing of the past. Utilizing the whole body in a functional manner has been proven to boost your metabolism, and build muscle more efficiently and effectively. Exercises such as cleans, squat, and pull-ups will work more muscle, causing larger releases of fat burning and muscle building hormones and enzymes. The more muscle you work, the more calories you burn.
Our bodies were meant to walk and do manual labor. When you pair exercises together and go at a high intensity you burn a much larger amount of calories. Our bodies were made to work hard and fast, not slow and long. The next time you workout push your self a little faster, and add a little more weight to the bar. Your body will thank you.
It is not only about the competition. It is also about making friends that will have a vested interest in you succeeding in living a healthier lifestyle. It has been shown that people with a great support system are more likely to succeed in an exercise program than people who don’t. When we are held accountable for things we usually step up to the plate and get the job done. CrossFit has created an environment that encourages people to stay consistent with their workouts, push hard, and have fun doing it.
